In the prior art, numerous examples exist of combination utensils which combine various features of forks, knives and spoons into a single utensil. The following prior art is known to applicant:
U.S. Pat. No. 22,992 to Buehl PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 27,820 to Birtcherd PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 38,292 to McClure PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 42,622 to Gafinowitz PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 48,103 to Cox PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 63,047 to Adler PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 94,390 to Phillips PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 331,177 to Albin PA1 U.S Pat No. 498,627 to Cox PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 536,862 to Eros PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,272,661 to Hashiguchi PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,294,031 to Bigelow PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,734 to Klein PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,224 to Bono, Jr. PA1 U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 9,687 to Cox PA1 French Pat. No. 524,805 to Laugier PA1 French Pat. No. 1,453,665 to Auffret
Of the above listed documents, only a few of them are even of general interest to the teachings of the present invention. In this regard, design U.S. Pat. No. D27,820 to Birtcherd teaches a fork having two elongated tines 4 two shortened tines 7 and a cutting edge, but lacks the tab structure and indicator structure of the present invention. Design U.S. Pat. No. D63,047 to Adler discloses a fork having two shortened tines similar to the teachings of Birtcherd but without teaching or suggestion of a cutting edge, tab structure or indicator structure. U.S. Pat. No. 1,294,031 to Bigelow discloses a fork-knife combination wherein the cutting edge extends along the major portion of the side of one of the tines C, however, no tab structure or indicator structure is taught or suggested by Bigelow, and, furthermore, all of the tines thereof are of equal length. While U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,734 to Klein teaches a stop device 15b, this device only delineates the dividing point between cutting edges of different types and as such could not be inferred as analogous to the indicator structure of the present invention. Finally, while French patent 1,453,665 to Auffret teaches the concept of a fork-knife combination wherein the cutting edge b does not extend the entire length of the tine c, again, Auffret lacks the tab structure, the indicator structure and the asymmetrical nature of the tines of the present invention.
Accordingly, a need has developed for an improved combination fork and knife including a cutting edge incorporated into a fork structure with the further provision of a tab structure to assist in controlling and applying pressure on the cutting edge during cutting operations and with the further provision of indicator structure which will protect the user against cutting of the user's mouth.